VINOD BHANDARI Vs. ASSTT DIRECTOR, DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard.

(2.) An ECIR / INSZO / 02 / 2014 was registered by the respondent on 31.03.2016. By a provisional attachment order dated 31.3.2016, arising out of ECIR No.2 of 2014, properties worth Rs. 8,93,50,085/- belonging to the applicant (Dr. Vinod Bhandari) and his family were provisionally attached. The said provisional attachment was confirmed by adjudicating authority by order dated 31.3.2016. The appeal preferred by the applciant is pending before the PMLA Tribunal.

(3.) The applicant was duly associated with the investigations both for the predicate offence as well as PMLA and was present as and when called by the respondent agency, but neither he was arrested nor he was ever taken in custody. After investigation charge sheet has been filed by the non-applicant. As per charge sheet filed in PMLA case, total number of witnesses are 231. The prosecution complaint running into 2430 number of pages. At the time of filing of the charge sheet, applicant was present before the learned Special Court. The application for grant of bail filed by the applicant has been rejected on 16.08.2018 and he has been taken into the judicial custody.